The Protectorate

The Protectorate was the period during the English Commonwealth from 1653 to 1659, during which England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland were governed by a "Lord Protector". Oliver Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament to become "Lord Protector", the military dictator of Great Britain. During his rule, Catholics were persecuted, Jews were welcomed back to the country 350 years after their banishment by King Edward I of England, and England went to war with Spain and the United Provinces over control of colonies and trade routes. In 1659, the Protectorate Parliament was dissolved upon Cromwell's death and the Commonwealth briefly restored under Richard Cromwell, who was later forced to abdicate in favor of the restored monarch Charles II of England.